The USA’s quarterfinal ouster means the world junior hockey championship will have a new champion for the first time since 2023.

Will it be Finland, which eliminated the American team in overtime on Jan. 2? Or Canada, which won in 2023? Or will unbeaten Sweden (2012) or Czechia (2001) end long droughts?

The next step for determining that is the semifinals on Sunday, Jan. 4. Sweden will face rival Finland and Canada and Czechia will face off in what is becoming a big rivalry.

The Czechs have ousted Canada in the playoffs the past two years and Canada knocked off Czechia in the 2023 final. Canada won the team’s preliminary round meeting but forgot to do a handshake line and Porter Martone patted a Czech player on the behind after he scored an empty net goal.

Here’s what to know about Sunday’s world junior championships semifinals, including how to watch:

Finland ties it up

Joona Saarelainein scores on a rebound of an Arttu Valila shot with 5:59 left to tie the game.

Sweden power play

Sweden on power play because of earlier call on Leu Tuuva. Sweden gets three shots but Finland kills it off. Petteri Rimpinen robs Jack Berglund.

Finland power play

Ivar Stenberg is called for tripping. Finland 0-for-2 so far. Finland gets chances but power play ends when Leo Tuuva is called for slashing.

Third period underway

3-2 Sweden. Winner goes to the gold-medal game. Loser plays for bronze.

End of second: Sweden 3, Finland 2

Two more strange goals in that period. Finland ties it up on a Sweden own goal and Sweden goes ahead after Petteri Rimpinen gets his stick stuck in the mesh after making a save. Shots are 20-15 Finland.

Finland pressure

The Finns hit the crossbar and two Swedish players break their sticks as Finland applies pressure late in the period. But Swedish goalie Love Harenstam dives out to cover the puck.

Sweden retakes lead on bank shot

Petteri Rimpinen is out of position with his stick stuck in the mesh after he make a save on Eddie Genborg. Genborg then banks in the puck off the goalie. Another strange goal in this game. Ivar Stenberg gets an assist for his second point of the game. Sweden 3, Finland 2

Finland ties it up on own goal

It’s an own goal as the puck comes off the glass and Swedish defenseman Alfons Freij puts it in off his goaltender as he tries to clear. Finland’s Jasper Kuhta get credit for the goal. Sweden 2, Finland 2

Sweden takes lead

Draft-eligible Ivar Stenberg scores through a screen on a delayed penalty. Sweden 2, Finland 1

Second period underway

Score is tied 1-1.

End of first: Sweden 1, Finland 1

The start of the game was nearly disastrous for Finland. Goalie Petteri Rimpinen misplayed a puck for a Sweden goal at 36 seconds. Then Sweden went on a power play 16 seconds later. Finland killed that off and settled down. They got a tying goal with 3:34 left in the period. Finland-Sweden games tend to be tight, and that’s the case again. Finland leads in shots, 11-7.

Finland ties it up

Atte Joki takes a pass atop the right faceoff circle, gets into better position and beats a screened Love Harenstam for the tying goal. Sweden 1, Finland 1

Finland power play

Felix Carell is called for delay of game for putting the puck over the glass. Sweden kills it off. Finland gets two shots and lead 8-4 in shots for the game.

Finland power play

Casper Juustovaara is called for slashing. Sweden kills it off.

Sweden power play

Heikki Ruohonen is called for tripping at 52 seconds. Finland gets a big kill, allowing no shots.

Sweden takes early lead

Linus Eriksson flips a shot toward the net and it goes in at 36 seconds as Petteri Rimpinen appears to misplay it. Sweden 1, Finland 0

Lucas Pettersson update

Sweden’s Lucas Pettersson is missing the game because he’s ill.

Sweden vs. Finland game underway

It’s Sweden’s Love Harenstam vs. Finland’s Petteri Rimpinen in net.

What channel is Sweden vs. Finland and Canada vs. Czechia world juniors hockey semifinals today?

TV channel: NHL Network

Livestream: Fubo, which offers a free trial to new subscribers, or Sling TV.

Watch world junior championships on Fubo

What time are Sweden vs. Finland and Canada vs. Czechia world juniors hockey semifinals today?

Date: Sunday, Jan. 4

Time: 4:30 p.m. ET and 8:30 p.m. ET (3:30 and 7:30 local time)

The Sweden-Finland game is scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m. ET and Canada-Czechia will start at 8:30 p.m. ET at the Grand Casino Arena in Saint Paul, Minnesota, the home of the Minnesota Wild.

World juniors hockey semifinals: How to watch, stream

Time: 4:30 p.m. ET and 8:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Jan. 4

Location: Grand Casino Arena (Saint Paul, Minnesota)

TV: NHL Network

Streaming: Fubo and certain levels of Sling TV carry NHL Network.

World junior championships semifinals today

Jan. 4

All times p.m. ET

Sweden vs. Finland, 4:30

Canada vs. Czechia, 8:30

Sweden has powerful power play

Sweden’s power play is connecting at 45% in the tournament, second only to Canada (47%).

Sweden vs. Finland lineups

Sweden players to watch

Blackhawks No. 3 overall pick Anton Frondell has five goals and seven points. Forward Jack Berglund (Flyers) and defenseman Alfons Freij (Jets) also have seven points. Forward Ivar Stenberg is expected to be a top draft pick in June. He has two goals and five points at the tournament.

Finland players to watch

Forward Heikki Ruohonen (Flyers) has two goals and six points. So does defenseman Lasse Boelius (Ducks). Finnish goalie Petteri Rimpinen (Kings) has played every minute of the tournament.

Sweden vs. Finland rematch

Sweden and Finland played in the 2025 semifinal, and Finland skated off with a 4-3 overtime victory. Benjamin Rautiainen scored the winner from a bad angle on the power play. Konsta Helenius, a Buffalo Sabres first-round pick, had four assists in the game.

The Cleveland Browns star edge rusher sacked Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow during the fourth quarter in the team’s 20-18 Week 18 win. The sack was Garrett’s 23^rd of the season, which broke the single-season sack record of 22.5 that was previously held by Michael Strahan (22.5 sacks in 2001 with the New York Giants) and T.J. Watt (22.5 sacks in 2021 with the Pittsburgh Steelers).

“It was everything I expected. It was so tough. I knew they were gonna make it difficult,” Garrett said postgame of the sack record. “The feeling couldn’t be better.”

Garrett later told reporters he was eyeing 25 sacks but he’s grateful to be the NFL’s new sack king.

“I’ve been waiting on this my whole life. My whole football career. I knew I had it in me,” Garrett said. “I wanted that 25 (sacks), but they made it real difficult these last two games, especially, really these last three. That’ll be the next journey. Trying to go out there and get 25.”

While 25 sacks might be a goal for Garrett down the road, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said he hopes this year is capped off with an NFL Defensive Player of the Year award.

“That’s history. He’s the sack king. That’s unbelievable. They’ve been playing this game for a long time, and for him to go get that in the circumstances with the degree of difficulty in which he got it this season is unbelievable,” Stefanski said. “He’s the defensive player of the year. You can make him the MVP, if I had a vote. I think the reaction of his teammates is genuine. That’s real. These guys care about each other.”

Cleveland finished the regular season 5-12, fourth in the AFC North and out of the playoffs. The Browns have only earned a playoff berth twice since they drafted Garrett No. 1 overall in the 2017 NFL draft.

Garrett, who was one of the few bright spots for the Browns this season, said he appreciates the journey despite the franchise’s recent struggles.

“You got to be the same person every single day. Come with that same intensity. No matter the result or outcome. You do it for the journey. The suffering in the journey, the failures in the journey. But that’s the price we pay for giving everything we have,” Garrett said. “No one is gonna win the Super Bowl every year. No one is gonna go to the playoffs every year. But that fight to get more and achieve more, wanting more for yourself and your teammates, that’s what’s gonna drive us to success.”

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.

AI-assisted summary
• ‘Black Monday’ is the term for the day after the NFL regular season ends when multiple head coaches are often fired.
• The Tennessee Titans and New York Giants have already fired their head coaches ahead of the 2026 offseason.

‘Black Monday,’ metaphorically the worst day on the NFL calendar, isn’t even 24 hours away. On a day when 18 teams are cleaning out their collective lockers going into an offseason they wish was still a few weeks away, several head coaches – along with their assistants and, by extension, families – will also be packing up ahead of a permanent change of address.

Two teams, the Tennessee Titans and New York Giants, decided weeks ago that they were headed in new directions in 2026, pulling the plugs on Brian Callahan and Brian Daboll, respectively, preemptively rather than let them unnecessarily twist in the wind before an inevitable axe fell. Will their dismissals serve as precursors for a larger HC bloodletting?

Before we find out officially, here are a few Black Monday predictions:

Black Monday will be moderate shade of gray

Since the start of the Super Bowl era – the 1966 season – six to seven head coaching openings, on average, materialize each year. As previously mentioned, two teams have already begun their searches. But if one were to set an over/under of, say, 3½ more firings in 2026, I’d be inclined to take the under. Several coaches this season have certainly fallen short of expectations, though quite a few have been victimized by circumstances largely beyond their control – whether they be injuries, weak rosters, poor quarterback play or maybe a combination thereof.

It’s also worth noting that very few organizations wait anymore to render a decision on Black Monday itself. Increasingly, teams like the Giants and Titans cut the cord when it’s clearly the proper course of action. Others will make an announcement in the hours after the regular-season finale rather than make a coach endure a process that need not last an additional day. And, sometimes, a club and/or coach need a cooling-off period before deciding whether a break-up is in order.

The guess here? Most pink slips will be issued by Sunday’s end – or maybe not until week’s end … just don’t expect all that many.

A coach in the playoffs won’t remain with his team in 2026

It’s not all that unusual to see a head man depart his post even after reaching the postseason – especially one who’s gotten into something of a good-but-not-great rut. This isn’t an indictment or suggestion any of the following men are in trouble, per se. But franchises sometimes wind up deciding to take a step back in order to (theoretically) eventually move forward – even if it means parting with a proven winner like Todd Bowles or Matt LaFleur or even John Harbaugh. Just saying – sometimes Black Monday arrives a week late.

Mike McDaniel will stay in Miami

Widely identified as a man on the hot seat in the aftermath of the Dolphins’ disappointing 8-9 finish in 2024, could he somehow survive what’s shaping up as another seven- or eight-win campaign? In a break from their typical pattern under McDaniel, who’s wrapping up his fourth season at the helm, the Fins have nearly gotten back to break even after a 1-6 start – one that included the season-ending loss of dynamic WR Tyreek Hill. It’s also worth noting that McDaniel was retained at midseason when owner Stephen Ross and former GM Chris Grier mutually parted ways.

The Dolphins will obviously find a replacement for Grier (thanks, Troy Aikman). They’re also probably contractually stuck with QB Tua Tagovailoa, who’d had quite a bit of success under McDaniel before being benched late in the season, for at least another year. But even if the next GM decides to take a financial bath by cutting Tagovailoa, a move that would trigger something in the neighborhood of of nine-figure salary-cap pain, the team isn’t likely to find an immediate replacement who’s face-of-the-franchise-caliber. Given those options, it probably makes sense to retain McDaniel – whether he goes back to work with Tua or continues shepherding rookie Quinn Ewers, and kick the HC decision can down the road for a year. While it’s certainly ideal to have a new GM and coach enter the building together, philosophically aligned and such, it’s nearly as common for a new personnel boss to take the lay of the land for a year before deciding whether to stick with a program or fully reset it – recent examples of similar reboots transpiring in Nashville and Chicago.

Mike Tomlin’s future is up to Mike Tomlin

We hear you, Pittsburgh Steelers fans. You’re frustrated. Winning annually is fine, but not winning Super Bowls annually isn’t. There’s no doubt Tomlin and this organization want to do better than one-and-done − if they make it that far − when the playoffs roll around. There’s no doubt Tomlin and this organization want a long-term answer at quarterback. There’s no doubt Tomlin and this organization want to finish constructing that long-awaited Stairway to Seven, stuck on a league-record six Lombardi Trophies − for one franchise anyway − since he, Ben Roethlisberger and Co. won Super Bowl 43 to cap the 2008 season.

But after 19 non-losing seasons and 200 wins (including playoffs), Tomlin − one of three coaches the ever-stable Steelers have employed since 1969 − won’t be pushed out of Pittsburgh. He’ll only jump, and likely to a plum job opening like the Giants’, if that’s what he chooses to do. But don’t hold your collective breath, you ungrateful and spoiled Yinzers.

The Las Vegas Raiders are No. 1 − and former owner Al Davis would doubtless be sick about it.

But the Silver and Black’s current Commitment to Excellence unfortunately extends only to summiting the apex of the 2026 NFL draft order, the Raiders clinching − for lack of a better term − the spot Jan. 4 when the New York Giants, who cruised past Las Vegas 34-10 in Week 17, defeated the Dallas Cowboys in their regular-season finale. The Giants’ victory locked the Raiders into the league’s worst record, even if they improve to 3-14 by beating the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday afternoon.

Have the Raiders picked No. 1 overall before?

Yes, the then-Oakland Raiders chose QB JaMarcus Russell No. 1 overall in 2007 in one of the worst draft decisions in NFL history. Who could they have taken instead? Calvin Johnson, Joe Thomas, Adrian Peterson, Patrick Willis, Marshawn Lynch and Darrelle Revis all came off the board in the first half of Round 1.

Who will the Raiders draft first in 2026?

That will likely be a topic of some debate over the next four months, but Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza from Indiana University will likely be the prohibitive choice − whether the Raiders use the pick or trade it.

The quarterback carousel keeps on churning in the 2026 transfer portal for college football.

The latest domino to fall on Sunday, Jan. 4, was Notre Dame backup quarterback Kenny Minchey committing to Nebraska. The Cornhuskers are looking to replace starter Dylan Raiola, who left after two seasons.

Minchey will be entering his redshirt sophomore season and should have two more years of eligibility for the Cornhuskers.

He lost the starting battle to CJ Carr during the offseason and served as his backup during the 2025 season. He completed 20-of-26 passes for 196 yards, adding 84 rushing yards and a score.

The transfer portal opened on Friday, Jan. 2, and remains open through Jan. 16. 

Kenny Minchey transfer portal, recruiting ranking

Minchey was a 4-star recruit in the 2023 recruiting class, per 247Sports’ Composite ratings, coming out of Pope John Paul II in Hendersonville, Tennessee. He was ranked as the No. 170 overall player and 14th-ranked quarterback in the class.

• Stars: 4
• National rating: No. 170 overall
• Position ranking: No. 14 QB
• State ranking: No. 3 player from Tennessee

Kenny Minchey stats

Here’s a look at Minchey’s stats in his three seasons with Notre Dame:

• 2023: 2-for-2 passing (100%) for 12 yards
• 2024: 1-for-1 passing (100%) for 4 yards; Two rushes for 12 yards and a touchdown
• 2025: 20-of-26 passing (76.9%), 196 yards; 17 rushes for 84 yards and a touchdown

One of the benefits of the current state of college football for teams: If you can find a coach, you can find a quarterback.

After Drew Mestemaker followed his North Texas coach Eric Morris to Oklahoma State, Rocco Becht is doing the same. The former Iowa State quarterback will join his coach Matt Campbell at Penn State, giving the Nittany Lions their 2026 quarterback.

Becht, who will be a redshirt senior next year, battled an injury for most of the 2025 season and saw his stats suffer for it. He’s hoping a surgery on what was diagnosed as a partially torn labrum will return him to form for another season in college football next year.

The move puts a button on the Drew Allar era for Penn State. Allar is expected to enter the NFL draft after he suffered a season-ending ankle injury in October against Northwestern. Becht and Campbell are hoping to right what was a disastrous 2025 for Penn State, though the season did end with a Pinstripe Bowl win over Clemson.

Redshirt freshman QB Alex Manske also committed to Penn State from Iowa State on Sunday to serve as Becht’s understudy.

Rocco Becht transfer portal ranking

ESPN lists Becht as the 16th-highest ranked player in the transfer portal. Becht’s injury limited him this year, but Penn State will undoubtedly expect a return to form.

Rocco Becht stats

Over the course of his career, Becht has amassed 9,274 yards on 714-of-1,177 passing (60.7% completion rate), with 64 touchdowns and 27 interceptions. He saw lower numbers in 2025, thanks in part to a partially torn labrum that required surgery in December.

• 2022: 7-of-15 passing, 65 yards, one interception (redshirts season)
• 2023: 231-of-367 passing, 3,120 yards, 23 touchdowns, eight interceptions
• 2024: 271-of-456 passing, 3,505 yards, 25 touchdowns, nine interceptions
• 2025: 205-of-339 passing, 2,584 yards, 16 touchdowns, nine interceptions

AI-assisted summary
• Cowboys rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku was ejected from a game against the Giants.
• The ejection occurred after Ezeiruaku pulled the helmet off of Giants lineman Greg Van Roten during a skirmish.
• The altercation began after a hit on Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart.

A meaningless Week 18 game between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants does not make it immune from tempers running hot.

Cowboys rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku had his rookie season end prematurely when he was ejected for pulling the helmet off Giants offensive lineman Greg Van Roten with 9:52 remaining in the third quarter.

A skirmish between the two teams started following a hit by Cowboys linebacker James Houston on Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart after Dart threw a 13-yard touchdown to Tyrone Tracy. Van Roten would not let go of Cowboys defensive lineman Sam Williams’ facemask.

It wasn’t the first misfortune to befell Ezeiruaku during the game. He had a sack, which would have been his first since Nov. 3, taken off the board when the Cowboys accepted a tripping penalty against New York that negated the play.

Ezeiruaku was taken in the second round (44th overall) by the Cowboys out of Boston College in the 2025 draft.

The Indianapolis Colts wide receiver was ejected during the third quarter of the Colts’ Jan. 4 game at the Houston Texans.

Pierce was ejected after he caught a pass from Colts QB Riley Leonard in the back of the end zone line. Pierce landed out of bounds and the pass was ruled incomplete. However, Pierce got up and pleaded with the nearby official over what he believed was an apparent penalty on the play. Pierce inadvertently bumped into the official during the discussion and was immediately flagged.

The game officials ejected Pierce for contact with a referee.

Pierce’s disqualification ended a stellar day for the wideout. He had four catches for a season-best 132 and two touchdowns at the time of his exit.

Pierce did appear to apologize to the official following his ejection.